Electric switch.



Patented May16,1916

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. HANSEN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEI, 1915.

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H. HANSEN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. I915.

1 ,183,-376. Patented May 16, I916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

ma lmoa ?wolom I A WW4 #714577)?! inr HERMAN HANSEN, E ZIEW YGRK, .121,.e.

Patented Mary 315, 1916,

Application filed June 7, 1515. serial l lo, $53,570.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERMA li'iinsnn, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New Y rlz,in. the county and State of New York, have invented a cer ta-in new anduseful Improvement in Electrio Switches-of which the following is aspecification, the same bein at full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric. circuitchsnging devices cominggenerally under the head of push button snap switches and designed foremployment in the industrial application of electricity, as for example,in connection with electric lights and house wiring and for small poweror heating purposes, etc, and in particular to a rollingcontact devicepreferably used in a switch.-

ing mechanism of the class named by w iich the contact terminals may bepositively and quickly locked in'electric engagement with the main lineterminals, or else locked in a' position disengaged therefrom, withoutappreciable friction at the operative junction of the parts.

In the structure herein set f rth the line 36 terminals are protected bybeing spaced on a retainer therefor in which retainer the operativejunction takes place, the parts being so or angcd as-to protect the saidpreferably spring terminals against possible fusion or grounding, onaccount of the said spacing and of the comparatively large size of therolling-contact members located at the operative junction, whereby thefriction ordinarily residing at the said contact point is avoided andgreater ease of action of the parts is secured by the movement of thesaid automatically urtiiig parts, the whole bein'g of comparativelysimple construction and operating with certainty and precision.

To attain the desired end, the invention consists in the construction,arrangement and operation of parts herein set forth.

in the sccompanying drawings is illus trated one type of a switchingmechanism designated by. suitable reference numerals in each of theviews, and 111 which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation, partly in which the invention isembodied, in which the separate parts of the improvement are.

section, an instrument constructed according invention; Fig. 2 is a.plan view of the same; 3 is n vertical section taken on line 3 3 Fig.4-; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the push buttons and parts adjacentthereto; 5 is c. sectional view 50 taken the line Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is 'adetail view of the terminals and supporting retainer; Fi "'4' is adetail view in section, taken on the line 7. Fi 5; Fig. 8 is a sectionalView, taken. on a line similar to that of 5, of instrument comprisinganother form of the embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 9 is a sectiontaken. on the line 9 Fig. 8. I

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in-zill the views.

fdeferring particularly to the drawings, in which the preferred'style ofan electric switching mechanism is shown, it will be seen that theinvention comprises the automatic rolling-contact elements herein setforth may be employed, as stated, not only with switches, whether snapor otherwise,

. but also in connection with any approved or suitable circuit changingdevice; but for the purpose of clearly explaining the operation of thesome have illustrated the invention as used connection with an electricswitch of the type patented by me on March 25, 1913, No. 1,057,1 7.

In the said drawings, 3 denotes a stationary bridge piece or bar havingin this instance openings or orifices through which work the pushbuttons -2, and also preferably having means for engagement with anelectrically non-conducting porcelain or fireproof composition casing 1.The said bar 3 has depending extensions l at the extremities of whichare formed shoulders 5, and it is also made with slots 6 and withjournals for a shaft 7 around which is coiled a spring 19. Rigidlysecured to the ends of the shaft '2, at the exterior faces of the.extensions 4, is a ll-shaped part or movable bridge piece 9, the sideportions of the same lying adjacent to the said extensions 4 beingenlarged and made with peripheral openings or slots 10 and 11 located atopposite sides of the part 9. The said enlarged potion of the part 9also'- carries, at the front face thereof, switchingcontact blades ormembers 12 wh ch are attached to, but preferably insulated cs at L5,from a side ortion of the U-shaped piece 9 and which lades areoscillated when the said part is moved.

A rocking yoke, preferably made in two parts, 13, 14, and having themedian portion of each part lying adjacent to the inner.

faces of an extension 4, works loose on the shaft 7, to the respectiveends of which yoke are pivoted the extensions 8 of the push buttons 2.The elements 13, ll, each also carry a cam, as 15, 16, which camsproject toward each other and are turned in opposite directions, andeachengage slots formed in the lower edge of a sliding andlongitudinally reciprocating detent17 which works in the slots 5 in sucha manner that, when proach one another and to normally lie near eachother, lie respectively against one car 18 lying in the same planeandalso against one edge of thecross bar of the part 9, and 80.

at the other side of the switch against the opposite edges of the othercar 18 and cross bar of the part 9. The ends of the detent 17 areadapted and arranged to respectively lie either in one of the smallslots 10 of the part 9 and against one of the shoulders formed by thelong slot 11 located at the other side of the device, or else in theother small slot 10 and against the other shredder of the slot 11.

It has been found in practice that heavy sparking takes place at thecontact blades,

12 when the circuit is opened and if this is not prevented, it soonburns and roughens the surface of the blades and one or both of thepreferably: insulated line terminals 20,

, and consequently the switch is thrown out of service; Repeatedoccurrences of these flashings will soon heat up the parts'and evenresult in fusing the terminals sometimes, and

in occasioning grounding. In order to obviate th s-ob ection I havedevised means for protecting the contact blades 12 and terminals 20 fromheavy sparking by providing a retaining member, as a block 21,constructed' and arranged to space the said ter- "mmalsfrom the point ofoperative junction.

Each of theseblocks 21 has a preferably centrally located pocket orgroove 22 which lies in the path of a contact blade or member 12, and ispreferably provided with one or more recesses 28 located at an angle tosaid pocket in which are held automatically moving parts as rotarymovable bodies, as balls 23 or rollers 27 or other solid or massivebodies, which are constructed and arrangedto be held in seats orconcaved cup-shaped portions or indentions 24 of the terminals 20 whichlatter lie upon the outer faces of the said retainers 21; while asstated, the

operative junction is located in the said pocket containing the balls23, and in which one of the contact members 12, having one or moreindentions or cup-shaped recesses 25, works, the operative junctiontaking place between each of the said contact members 12 and therounding faces of one or more of the said balls 23. The said balls 23are separated by the contact members when the circuit is closed therebyforcing the free ends of the terminals, which are engaged withtheopposite sides of the balls, in an outward direction. This actioncauses a )artial rotation of the solid or massive balls 23 whichmovement serves, as they turn within the inclosing recess 28, towithdraw laterally from the operative junction (in lieu of the ordinaryoperation of the rubbing of one piece of metal alon another one and thendrawing away the ormer in the same plane) to prevent any injury fromoccurring to the'parts, 7-vhile at the same time, by the said movementoccasioned by the said rotation of the ballsgfriction is.

avoided to a great extent and the ease of, action of the switch isgreatly increased from what would otherwise be the/case.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs 8 and 9, I haveillustrated solid or massive rollers 27 preferably held'within. I

the free ends of the terminals 20 which an swer the purpose or therolling-contact de vice already described, although I refer to use inlieu thereof the balls 23 as iereinbefore set forth. An essentialfeature of the invention in this particular is the means by which theintermediate movable devicesl0- cated within the retainer shall workwith a rolling-contact in the movement thereof at the operative junctionof the parts, the said interi'nediate devices being constructed andarranged to, be displaced by the contact memberwhen engaged therewithand to resume their normal positions again when disengaged therefrom. 1

The operation of parts is as follows, the

same being in the position shown in Figs. 1

to 1, where the circuit is shown as being closed. By gradually pushingthe raised button 2 in a downward direction, in order to open thecircuit, the extension 8 thereof forces the left hand end the rock yoke13, 14- downwardly and the car 18 of the part 1.3, which was previouslyin alincment with the horizontal portion of the bridge piece 9 (as showninFig. 3) will move one endof the spring 19 tmvard the right, therebyincreasmg the tension of the same, the other end of the spring beingprevented from moving, with its car 18, by being held immovable byresting against the opposite edge of the of the horizontal pert of theelement 9-. Upon the-continued depression oi the button, the

rock 'yoke13, M, is swung around, which movement causes the cams i5, 15,to

force the detent 1? to the left (in the posi ti'on shown in Fig. 4;;until it passes through the slot IO-at the right hand the side part ofthe bridge 9 far enough the sict in the same :(put of which the can 1.16has in the meantime passed) to register with the left hand side piece ofthe said bridge piece, and

forthe righthand end of the detent l to no longer project out from theslot 6 at the "right-hand side of the part 4L. bridge piece 9 being not?free to more is forced ahead by the left hand leg of the spring-andswings around'toward the riser tton,

increrative position, farther movement be in'g prevented by theimpingement of right hand shoulder of the siot with the. detent 17 andthat of the horizontal-1 part of the bridge 9 against the right handcars 5 of the extensions 4, the other end of the detent 17 nowregistering with the other slot 10. When the pressure on the depressedbutton is released, the rock yoke 18, it, has snifficient play to swingaround slightly in the opposite direction, thereby causing the ears- ]5,16, to force the detent l? tomoves suf ficientdistance to engage thesaid slot 10. When the newly raised button is nowagain depressed theparts are moved in the o1op0- site directions to those alreadydescribed. and the detent 17 is pushed to the right {in position shownin Fig. i; 'a-suiiicient distunes for the lefthand edge of the some toclear the slot 10 in the side part of the bridge 9, whereupon the partswill again assume the positions shown'in the drawings. In the firstoperation described of depressing a button, in order to openthecii'cuit, the contact members 12 enter their respective pockets 22and engage the balls 23 in the recesses 28, a1} of the parts being so inclosed that there is no opportunity for the electric fluid to leapacross an open gap as the case. The said operation serves to move theterminals 20 outwardly by the impact of the separated balls 23,,a goodcontact being thereby secured. Upon the manipulation of the otherbutton,

however, thee-outset members are removed tory .movablc'circuit changer,as are also the insulating members. The rotary electrically conductingmembers, "which may be either balls or rollers, are inclosed in theinsulating members which in turn are inciosed by the line terminalswhich serve to press the said rotary bodies together.

I Wish it to he understood that I do not desire to be lii'nited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications within the scope of the ciaims wiil occur to personsskilled in the What i claim as my invention is 1. In a device of theclass dcscribed,'an osciliating circuit changer, an adjacent insulatingiii ember, a line terminal, rotary electrically conducting memberssupported by.

the insulating member and located so as to be 111 the path of thecircuit changer, one at least of said rotary members being electriberandlocated in the same so as to lie in the path of the circuit changer, oneat least of said rotary members being electrically connected with theline terminal.

Sfin a device of the class descri ed, an

osciilating circuit changer, an adjacent insulating member, 3 lineterminal tangenitally arranged as regards thepath of the circuit changerand the insulating material, rotary electrically conducting memberssupported by the insulating member and located so as to iie, in the pathof the said circuit changer, one at least of said rotary members beingelectrically connected-With the line terminal.

in testimony of the foregoing specification I do hereby sign'the some inthe city of New 'ork, county and State of New York, this 2nd. day ofJune, 1915.

HERMAN HANSEN.

Witnesses F. A. Wuuzmon. HENRY F. KrnL.

